Committee hears testimony to expand and speed post‑election audits in Massachusetts

The Joint Committee on Election Laws heard bipartisan testimony supporting S.517 and H.876 aimed at strengthening Massachusetts’ post‑election audit process.

Lisa Dammit, testifying for the Brennan Center for Justice, said the measures would ‘‘provide a check on election equipment’’ and urged audits that ‘‘include every category of ballot — mailed, early voting, election day and UOCAVA’’ to avoid gaps that could leave ‘‘opportunity for undetected errors.’’

The bills would expand the state’s current audit practice in several ways: require audits every two years rather than only during presidential cycles; broaden audits to cover provisional and early ballots; require a statewide audit report be published within 30 days of the election and maintained online for at least six years; and authorize, but not require, municipalities to undertake post‑election audits…